Fri 04 August 2023:
Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While Independent Press takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.
Ukraine has accused Russia of preparing to stage a “false flag” attack at the Mozyr oil refinery in Belarus to blame Ukrainian saboteurs in an effort to draw Belarus into the war.
The strike on the Mozyr plant will be blamed on Ukrainian saboteurs in a bid to draw Belarus into the war, it said.
The service’s claims are based on information it obtained from several sources, including a captured Russian serviceman, a statement on Telegram read.
It added the preparation of the attack is being conducted by “a sabotage and intelligence group” made up of Russian Armed Forces personnel and member of the Wagner mercenary group.
“The Security Service warns the Belarusian army against participating in a full-scale war against Ukraine. Every invader who crosses the border of our state will be destroyed by our security and defence forces,” it concluded.
Kremlin says Poland’s comments on Wagner Group are ‘odd’
The Kremlin has said Poland’s statement on Wagner forces in Belarus is “odd”, as Warsaw warns that the mercenary group is seeking to unsettle NATO’s eastern flank.
Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: “There are a lot of oddities, in general, the Poles are prone to provoking the situation, escalating tension. This line is not new and has only been progressing in recent years.”
“Indeed, the fighters of this group are on the territory of Belarus within the framework of existing agreements. Near the border – not near [their] border, this is the territory of Belarus, Belarus is a sovereign state.”
EU imposes sanctions on 38 Belarusian officials
The European Union has imposed sanctions on several Belarusian police, justice and prison officials over the crackdown on anti-government activists that started three years ago.
Travel bans in Europe and asset freezes were imposed on 38 officials, including several judges and prosecutors. The EU also froze the assets of state oil and chemicals giant Belneftekhim on account of its ties to Russia.
It said the company “represents a fundamental asset for the Belarusian economy and foreign policy, in particular in relation to the cooperation between Russia and Belarus in developing a common oil market”.
The EU also extended an export ban to firearms and the aviation and space industries.
Journalists and activists in Belarus have faced large-scale repression since the August 2020 vote that gave Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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